

ADVOCATE FOR CHANGE
LESS THAN 10% OF AUSTRALIANS
HAVE ACCESS TO
MIDWIFERY-LED CONTINUITY OF CARE

STATE ADVOCACY
Find out about the state advocacy work being done by clicking on a state below:
ADVOCACY
We are committed to supporting maternity consumers, their families and community and advocating for them on national, state and local levels. Below are some of the projects and campaigns we are currently working on.

Maternity Choices Australia, through its various platforms (email, social media groups and pages, direct contact with our maternity consumer reps, national, local and topic-based committees and via our website) have been receiving regular inquiries and comments regarding the drastic changes to maternity care during the COVID-19 period.

We are acutely aware of the current fragmented nature of maternity care in Australia, where over 98% of women give birth in a hospital environment and less than 30% have true continuity of care. Continuity of care means that the person accessing maternity health services sees the same person or small team of people for the duration of their maternity care and across the perinatal continuum.
Fragmented care leads to poorer outcomes for mothers, babies, the care providers and the public purse. It also increases interventions and leads to poorer reporting and recording of mothers, babies and care provider experiences.

This model of care is cited globally and in current, grade A evidence to be one of the best models of care, leading to better outcomes for mothers, babies, care providers and the public purse. Out of 100% of maternity health consumers in Australia, less than 10% have access to true Midwifery Continuity of Carer or Midwifery led-carer.
For Midwifery continuity of carer to be true, the person accessing this model of care must have access to relationship-based care in a continuity model with a midwife of their choice. The care needs to be provided throughout the continuum of the perinatal period - during pregnancy, the labour and birth itself, immediately after childbirth and the first few days and weeks post birth.

Maternity Choices Australia has a long-standing commitment to promoting, discussing and advocating for human rights in childbirth. We work with consumers, academia, government and other bodies to bring to light this important matter.

This year MCA has teamed up with three other not for profit maternity and motherhood advocacy groups in light of international maternal mental health matters day.
OUR MOTHERS MATTER, their wellbeing matters. Along with these organisations we have made a commitment to bring important discussions to mothers, parents, family, community and care providers that bring to light some of the most pressing matters for mothers and a working group - Maternal Mental Health Matters Australia was established on the first Wednesday of May, 2020.

Midwives have an important role in addressing domestic and family violence, as a history of violence before pregnancy is one of the strongest predictors of pregnancy violence. For some women the frequency and intensity of violence often increases during pregnancy.
THE HARD TRUTH
UP TO 1 IN 3 WOMEN
EXPERIENCE BIRTH TRAUMA
1 IN 1O WOMEN EMERGE FROM
BIRTH WITH PTSD
WOMEN WHO EXPERIENCE MIDWIFERY LED CONTINUITY OF CARE:
- 16% less likely to experience an episiotomy
- 24% less to experience pre term birth
- less pain meds
- lower mortality rates
- culturally responsive care
- higher chances of breastfeeding at 6 weeks
- higher chances of breastfeeding at 6 months
- 10% less likely to have instrumental birth
YET LESS THAN 10% OF AUSTRALIAN WOMEN HAVE ACCESS TO MIDWIFERY LED CONTINUITY OF CARE
FEDERAL MP BRIEF
2021 Federal Election MP/Senator brief endorsed by 15 community organisations.
<CLICK PDF TO OPEN
MCA proudly supports the Australian Midwifery and Maternity Alliance 2022 federal election brief. Include this with the above two when sending out the above briefs, it’s a summary of both immediate actions and medium term reform recommendations.
Please take the below infographics with you to your MP Meetings along with the above documents for easy reference:

